Plateau South APC Youth Vanguard has identified Lalong’s nepotistic concentration of appointments in Shendam LGA and by extension, the Gamai land, as the factor responsible for the stunted growth of the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State and the party’s lack of progress, despite its eight years’ stint at the helm of affairs in the state and currently holding about ninety percent of all the National and State legislative seats from the state, most of which were obtained through the instrumentality of the courts.
In a Press statement signed by the group’s Chairman and Secretary, Longlutuk Yoila and Umaru Aminu Lamba respectively, and made available to newsmen in Jos, the group predicted a more calamitous outcome for the APC in Plateau State in 2027 in comparison with the fate that befell it in 2023, when Lalong called the shots at the Little Rayfield seat of power in Plateau State. This, according to the group, is without recourse to the current influx of defectors to the APC in Plateau State, whose primary purpose of joining the party is to support Tinubu’s reelection bid and ensure his seamless victory in Plateau state, without more.
Plateau South APC Youth Vanguard expresses serious concerns that hinging the fate of the party in Plateau State on Lalong as the leader to champion a successful electoral outing in 2027 after its disastrous performance in 2023 when he was a sitting governor, would be a mirage tantamount to committing a graver mistake, which can only breed a disgraceful outcome.
The statement further posited that, from 2015 to 2023 when Lalong held sway as governor of Plateau State, most federal appointments, including the Ministerial slot for Plateau State from 2019 to 2023, were routed to Gamai land, while lucrative State appointments were their exclusive reserves, yet the APC struggled to record marginal victory in Goemai land because of the doggedness and credibility of people like Hon Joe Bukar, the Member representing Shendam Constituency in the state Assembly. This is a clear indication that the appointees have no touch with the people, let alone have any electoral value.
It must be noted that for the first time in the history of Plateau State, under Lalong the state governor and the minister representing Plateau at the Federal Executive Council came from the same local government area.
The continues concentration of federal appointments in Shendam local government area at the expense of the other five local government areas in the Southern zone, is a manifest demonstration of barefaced nepotism. This is not to mention Lalong’s poor performance as governor, which culminated in further demarketing the APC in Plateau..
As Governor, Lalong has no record of any completed nor commissioned project in any local government area in the Southern Senatorial zone, except, in his Shendam local government of origin.
During Dariye’s tenure as governor, he established Plateau State University Bokkos, constructed 55km road to Mushere, refurbished Amper-Dengi road among others. Jang, on the other hand, constructed many roads that linked and opened up Northern Senatorial zone. In Lalong’s case, what do we have in the Southern zone? Nothing!
Southern Plateau craves for a fair-minded Senator, not an ethic jingoist. This statement of fact was manifestly communicated with a loud bang in the ballot box in 2023, when a retired Air Force officer without any prior political party experience, debuted into the political arena to record a resounding victory against Lalong as a sitting governor. Even Lalong’s darling Shendam local government, where he favored all through his reign as governor, rejected his brazen incompetence.
“Could it be a coincidence that barely two weeks after Lalong was walloped by retired Air Marshal Napoleon Bali at the Senatorial election, Nentawe swept the 2023 gubernatorial election in the Southern zone, while Lalong’s handpicked APC House of Assembly candidates were roundly defeated in the zone, in an election conducted the same day”?, the statement queried?
“Plateau South APC Youth Vanguard unequivocally demands equitable distribution of opportunities among APC supporters in Plateau State and the recognition of a more grounded politician to spearhead the party as leader in Plateau State heading into the 2027 elections”.
More tested personalities Like the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member representing Wase Federal Constituency, Rt Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase or Professor Nentawe Yilwada are imbued with the requisite charisma to lead the APC to a more successful political contest in 2027, hence either of them should be bestowed such responsibility if APC must make any remarkable showing at the polls”, the statement quoted in parts.
“Further to that, the youth vanguard is of the firm conviction that the position of Deputy National Secretary, presently being held by Barr Festus Fuanter, be zoned to the Central zone or if it must remain in the southern zone, be micro-zoned to either Wase Federal Constituency or Langtang North/South Federal Constituency for fairness. The Vanguard vehemently opposes the concentration of Senator/Leader of the party and the party Deputy National Secretary in one local government area.
Without doubt, the beneficiaries of Lalong’s politics of ethnic suppression have not displayed any capacity to advance the fortunes of the APC because, like their benefactor, they do not reward loyalty to the party, neither do they use their offices to promote the party, but misapplied the privileges that comes with their appointments for personal aggrandizement only.
Lalong’s inability to win even his electoral ward during his shameful Senatorial contest in 2023 was a statement of people’s disenchantment with his weak leadership style. If that fate befell APC in 2023 when Lalong was governor, how worse would the situation be in 2027 if he remains the party leader to champion APC into the next round of elections ?”
Notwithstanding the circumstances that led to PDP losing all their legislative seats in Plateau State at the election tribunals in 2023, the shame of Lalong going down in history as the first sitting governor in Plateau State to be defeated in a Senatorial election while serving as governor will continue to dangle around his neck like a sword of Damocles.
“It is incontestable that Lalong was a child of grace who ascended unto power through divine interventions, but no prophecy is needed to acknowledge that Lalong has squandered his goodwill, and God has forsaken him to his shallowness and nepotistic disposition”.
For the avoidance of doubt, below is the line-up of Gamai sons and daughters currently appointed into various positions under the Tinubu administration:
1.Prof Nora Dadiut- Pro- chancellor & Chairman, FUTO, Akure
2.Cyril Tsenyil- Managing Director, NCDC
3.Alex Naantuam- Commissioner, FCT Service Commission.
4.The Registrar, Federal Polytechnic Nyak.- Mrs Celine Gana
5.The Librarian, Federal Polytechnic Nyak – Mr James Tuunlong
6.The Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Research Institute- Prof Hamidu
Sharubutu (2 terms)
7.The chairman, National Teacher’s Institute- Festus faunteer
8 APC Deputy National Secretary – Festus Fuanter
9.Barr Chris Maigida – Deputy Director Legal, APC National Secretariat, Abuja.
The above list, among others, dispels any iota of doubt regarding Lalong’s nepotistic concentration of appointments to his tribesmen to the exclusion of other tribes in the Southern zone, nay Plateau State at large. This unfortunate development portrays APC in Plateau State more like a tribal Union, than a political Party that fosters inclusivity. Lolong has outspent his usefulness in the political equation of Plateau State that even his cheerleaders can attest to the fact that he is only being tolerated for his past glory, rather than for any future electoral value”.
